Apparatus for elevating bags



(No Model.)

, J. B. DEIEPLER. APPARATUS PoR ELBVATING BAGS, BARRBLS, Aw.

' No. 474,653. Patented May 10,1892..

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Ziogflen I r l u@ yrre eine@ JOIINUE. DEFFLER, OF .IOIINSTOWN,PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR ELEVATING BAGS, BARRELS.. dac.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 474,653, dated May 10,1892.

Application filed December 2, 1891. Serial No. 413.795. (No model.)

To ctZ whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN B. DEFFLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Johnstown, in the county of Cambria and State ofPennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus forElevating Bags, Barrels, and other Articles, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has for its object to provide a novel apparatus capableof use for various purposes-such, for instance, as loading or unloadingvehicles, elevating bags, barrels, boxes, or other articles to theshoulders of persons, transporting loads from place to place, andsustaining bags while they are being filled.

To accomplish this obj ect my invention involves the features ofconstruction and combination or arrangement of devices hereinafterdescribed and claimed, reference being made to the accompanyingdrawings, in

y which- Figure 1 is a perspective View looking at the front of theelevating apparatus. Fig. 2 is an elevation looking at the rear of thesame. Fig. 3 is a perspective view looking` at the front of theapparatus and omitting the lifting-platform and its sliding bar. Fig. 4is a detail perspective view of the lifting-platform and its slidingbar, and Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line a: nc,Fig. 2.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use myinvention, I will now describe the same in detail, referring to thedrawings wherein- The numerals l and 2 indicate a pair of parallel sidebeams or frames separated from each other a suitable distance andrigidly united at their lower ends through the medium of a cross-bar 3and at their upper ends by a similar cross-bar 4, which is preferablyextended at each endinto a handle 5, by which to manipulate theapparatus on truck-wheels (i, as will hereinafter appear. The lower endsof the side beams or frames are provided at the outer edges withmetallic brackets or castings 7, each formed with ahorizontallyprojecting foot-piece S, extending from the front side ofthe apparatus, and with an axlebearing 9, extending from the rear of theapparatus. The axle-bearings 9 serve to snpport an axle l0, having atruck-wheel 6 at each end, in such manner that by grasping the handles 5the apparatus can be moved similar to an ordinary hand-truck.

The horizontally-projecting foot-pieces 8, in connection with thetruck-wheels 6, fulfill the conditions required to firmly support theside beams or frames in a perpendicular position when the apparatus isto be used for elevating or lowering bags, barrels, boxes, or otherobjects.

The foot-pieces S and the axle-bearings 9 are cast integral with thebracket 7, and the inner sides of the foot-pieces are constructed withlaterally-projecting flanges 13 to form rests for a platform 14 when thelatter is in its lowermost position. The platform is preferably composedof a metal casting having at its center a suitably-constructed socket15, to which is rigidly secured the lower extremity of a slide or bar16, interposed between the adjacent edges of the parallel beams orframes l and 2. The inner edges of these beams or frames are constructedwith guideways composed, as here shown, of grooves 17, formed in theinner edges of the beams or frames to receive the extremities of atransverse shaft, pin, or roller 1S, secured to the socket 15 at thelower end of the slide or bar, so that when the slide or bar is movedlongitudinally it is properly guided by the engagement of the shaft,pin, or roller with the grooves in the adjacent edges of the beams orframes. The shaft or pin 18 is preferably constructed in the form of aroller adapted to rotate for the purpose of reducing friction andrendering the parts free and easy in operation.

A transverse roller or shaft 19 is journaled in the upper extremities ofthe side beams or frames in such position as to bear against the frontsurface of the Vslide or bar 1G, for the purpose of holding the slide orbar in proper position, while permitting it to freely move in a verticalplane. The upper end portion of the slide or bar is properly confined inplace by the cross-bar 4 and the roller or shaft 19, while its lower endportion is confined in proper position by the roller or shaft 18,engaging the guideways or grooves 17. This construction reduces frictionto a minimum and renders the platform and slide, with a load thereupon,susceptible of being elevated with ease and convenience through the me-IOO dium of a rack-and-pinion mechanism, which I will now proceed todescribe.

The rack 20 is rigidly secured alon g the rear surface of the slide orbar 16 and engages a pinion 2l, mounted on the axle or shaft 22 andrigidly secured to or formed with a gearwheel 23. The shaft or axle 22is jonrnaled at one end in one of the side beams or frames and at theopposite end in a suitably-constructed metallic frame or bracket 24,secured at one end to the cross-bar 4 and at the opposite end to one ofthe side beams or frames. A shaft 25,journaled in the bracketor frame24,is provided with a crank-handle 26 and a pinion 27, which engages thegear-wheel 23, so that when the crank-handle is rotated a rotary motionis transmitted to the pinion 21, andj the rack 2O is caused to rise orfall accordingA to the direction in which the crank-handle isv turned.By this means the slide or bar 16 and its attached platform 14 areraised or lowered for the purpose of raising or lowering a bag, barrel,box, or other object which hasy The rack 2O is preserved in properengagement with the pin-v ion 21 through the medium of afriction-wheel28, journaled on a stud or vshaft 29 of the been placed on the platform.

bracket or frame 24.

To lock the rack-and-pinion mechanism againstback motion, I providesuitable mechanism for this purpose, which, as here shown, is composedof a locking-pawl 30, pivoted to the bracket or frame 24 and adapted toengage the platform unless such locking-pawl is intentionally moved outof engagement with the gear-wheel 23. I prefer to construct thelocking-pawl with an arm 3l, to which is secured a brake 32, adapted topress against the teeth of the gear-wheel 23 when the locking-pawl ismoved outof engagement with such gear-wheel for the purpose ofpreventing too rapid descent of the slide or bar 16 and the platform 14.

The locking mechanism and likewise the brake device maybe variouslymodified without altering the character of my invention, and therefore Ido not con fine myself to the specific construction herein described andshown.

The upper ends of the sidebeams or frames are provided with sockets 32to receive the extremities of a removable yoke 33, adapted to suspend abag which is being filled, so that the bag will be directly above theplatform 14, and consequently when such bag is properly filled it can,without manipulatiombe elevated to any desired height.

It will be obvious that the apparatus is capable of being used forloading and unloading vehicles or for elevating bags, barrels, or boxesto place them at such convenientheight that they can be taken on theshoulders of a person for transportation to the place desired, therebymaterially reducing the labor involved. The apparatus can also be usedsimilar to an ordinary hand-truck, and in this respect the elevatingmechanism is an important feature in that it enables bags, barrels,boxes, and other articles to be placed on the truck, wheeled to theplace desired, and then elevated into such position as to facilitateloading a vehicle. The apparatus is useful for many purposes notspecially mentioned, and therefore I do not Confine myself to anyparticular use of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl 1. The combination,with side beams or frames having foot-pieces and truck-wheels andlongitudinal guideways at their adjacent edges, of alongitudinally-movable slide orbar having a rigidly-attached platformand pins which engage the guideways, a rack secured to the rear side ofthe slide or bar, a bracket or frame rigidly secured to the rear of theside beams or frames, a pinion journaled to the bracket or frame,meshing with the rack and rotating in aplane parallel with the rearsurface of the slide or bar, and a shaft journaled to the bracket orframe, having a crankhandle and provided with a pinion for operating thepinion which meshes with the rack, substantially as described.

2. rIhe combination, with the longitudinally-grooved side beams orframes having footpieces and truck wheels at their lower extremities, ofa cross-bar attached to the npper ends of the side beams or frames, ashaft secured'to the latter in front of the cross-bar, alongitudinally-inovable slide or bar interposed between the cross-barand the shaft, and provided at its lower extremity with a platform andpins which engage the grooves in the side beams or frames, a racksecured to the rear side of the slide or bar, a bracket or frame rigidlysecured to the rear of the side beams or frames, a pinion journaled tothe bracket or frame, meshing with the rack and rotating in a planeparallel with the rear side of the slide or bar, and a shaft journaledto the bracket or frame, having a crank-handle and provided with apinion for operating the pinion which meshes with theraclg'substantially as described,

3. The combination, with the longitudinally-grooved side beams or frameshaving footpieces and truck-wheels at their lower extremities, of across-bar secured to the upper ends of the side beams or frames, a shaftattached to the latter in front of the cross-bar, alongitudinallymovable slide or bar arranged between the cross-bar andthe shaft and having a platform and pins which engage the longitudinalgrooves of the side footepieces and truck-wheels at their lowerextremities, of a slide or bar having a platform and pins which engageth'e longitudinal guideways, a rack secured to the rear side of theslide or bar, a bracket or frame connected with the rear of the sidebeams or frames, a pinion journaled to the bracket or frame and meshingwith the rack, a friction-Wheel journaled t0 the bracket or frame andbearing against the rack to hold it in mesh with the pinion, and a shaftjournaled to the bracket or frame, having a crankhandle and providedwith -apinion for operating the pinion which meshes with the rack,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal inpresence ef 3o two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN B. DEFFLER.

Witnesses:

JOHN HITSHEW, H. E. WOODWARD.

